FAA: All Clear for MU-2B

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) evaluated the safety of the MU-2B in 2005 following a rise in accidents.

The FAA found that the MU-2B met its original certification standards. However, changes to pilot and maintenance training, pilot checklists, and maintenance manuals were needed due to the unique nature of flying that specific aircraft type.

And the MU-2B is used differently now from when it was originally built. Instead of being used as a corporate aircraft, it's now used for cargo hauling and private operations, whose pilots may have less experience in high-performance aircraft.

So, the FAA redefined pilot training for the MU-2B and mandated that training through a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) in 2006.

As a result, the MU-2B has had no fatal and two non-fatal accidents in the past three years, the aircraft's best performance since it first entered the fleet. In the 30 months prior to the safety evaluation, the MU-2B had 14 accidents, including 10 fatal accidents.

The FAA in early 2008 finalized the SFAR that created new pilot training and operating requirements to increase the safety of the widely used Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft.

The final rule mandated a new comprehensive standardized pilot training program for the MU-2B. The regulation requires use of a standardized cockpit checklist and the latest revision of the Airplane Flight Manual. MU-2B operators also must now have a working autopilot onboard except in certain limited circumstances. Owners and operators had to comply with the SFAR within a year.

Then FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Nick Sabatini said "we decided to take appropriate actions to bring the plane up to an acceptable level of safety" after noticing a rising accident rate for the MU-2B over the past four years.

The turboprop is a complex aircraft that has unique flight characteristics. Fully understanding the aircraft's complexity is much more critical during an emergency situation.

Noting the alarming increase in MU-2B accidents and incidents, an FAA safety evaluation of the aircraft found that changes in training and operating requirements were needed. The safety evaluation produced a number of recommendations, including proposal of an SFAR. The SFAR, originally proposed in September 2006 is part of a larger program to improve MU-2B safety.

The SFAR reflects the work of an FAA Flight Standardization Board (FSB) and a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) released in January 2007.

The FAA implemented new requirements for ground and flight training that apply to all persons who manipulate the controls or act as pilot-in-command (PIC) of the MU-2B. The SFAR also apply to those persons who provide pilot training for the Mitsubishi MU-2B.

Operational requirements, such as a requirement for a functioning autopilot for single pilot instrument flight rules (IFR) and night visual flight rules (VFR) operations, a requirement to obtain and carry a copy of the latest available revision of the airplane flight manual, and a requirement to use a new pilot checklist, are also now in use.

All training conducted in the Mitsubishi MU-2B must now be done using the standardized MHI training program and a checklist accepted by the FAA's MU-2B FSB.

There was general consensus among many of the commenters to the NPRM that the rulemaking effort benefited from the collaborative process prior to the NPRM that involved the airplane's users, manufacturer and regulators.

The FAA said the new rule has widespread support from owners and operators of the MU-2B, the manufacturer and safety groups.